


See Me Bare My Teeth For You

by agentlavalake



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Sgrub Session, Alternia is Terrible, Alternian Revolution, Canon-Typical Violence, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, In This House We Love and Respect Tavros Nitram, Multi, Pale Polyamory (Homestuck), Quadrant Vacillation, Self-Insert, oc-insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:27:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22589404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentlavalake/pseuds/agentlavalake
Summary: A boy and his friends bicker, banter, flirt, flail around uselessly, embarrass themselves and each other, try very hard not to die, and somewhere along the way knock the fish bitch off her throne and make the world a better place or something.[OC-insert as Tavros. No Sgrub/Sburb AU.]
Relationships: Sollux Captor/Aradia Megido/Tavros Nitram
Comments: 16
Kudos: 46





	1. ==> Be ???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _"Who, who are you really?  
>  And where are you going?  
> I have nothing left to prove  
> 'Cause I have nothing left to lose  
> See me bare my teeth for you  
> See me bare my teeth"_  
> \- Mikky Ekko, _"Who Are You, Really?"_

**Prologue**

**== > Be ???**

You don't understand the command. What language even is that? It sure isn't Alternian.

**== > Be human**

What…? You don't know what that is, but it sounds...familiar. In fact, you can picture in your mind what it might look like, were it a real thing and not something some voice in your head is kind of rudely ordering you to become:

A squishy, pink, troll-shaped...thing...without horns or claws or even sensibly sharp teeth.

Gross.

Why would you even want to be one of these things, anyway? You're a much more cool and interesting-looking _troll_ , and more importantly, today is your fourth wriggling day, making you all of four sweeps old.

You don't have time to contemplate what it might be like were you ever not a troll at some point or to get into any other existential crises. No, today is a day for ruminating on your inadequacies as a person.

**== > Fine, ruminate on your inadequacies first**

Okay, confession time. You never intended on ruminating on anything, much less your personal failures or whatever. You're pretty okay with yourself as things stand, and honestly, it's more your M.O. to ignore your problems until they either go away or blow up in your face.

Instead, you're going to _celebrate_ the day you crawled up from the brooding caverns and were chosen by your lusus. A crazy idea, you know, and not very traditional of you, but there's always been a part of you that felt your hatching _deserved_ celebration.

So, this sweep, you're finally going to do it! You even got Tinkerbull to approve. That's why your block is covered in handmade "decorations", and a banner proclaiming "HAPPY WRIGGLER DAY!" is pinned to your ceiling.

It is a happy day, you think happily to yourself as you admire the jaunty, slightly off center lettering.

You would be even happier if you got gifts, like on 12th Perigee's Eve, but you didn't want to spook your new friends with such a revolutionary idea, not yet, and not even you, rebel that you are, could bring yourself to ask your lusus to give you presents twice in a single sweep.

This whole thing strikes you as rather self-centered and silly anyway, so maybe that's for the best.

Although...

There is a part of you, still, that insists all this is _normal_ , and sitting alone in your hive with nary a friend nor present and only your custodian to mark the occasion is both wrong and terribly sad.

But you don't…

...know…

...why…?

**== > ==> **

…

**== > ==> **

…

**== > ==> **

…

**== > ==> **

_Don't you?_

**== > Know why**

All at once, you remember.

You let out a pained cry and drop to your frond hinges, prongs shooting out to clutch at your suddenly aching thinkpan. It's too much too quickly, and the overload blossoms into pure agony behind your gander bulbs.

Distantly, you note Tinkerbull anxiously fluttering around you and letting out worried, inquisitive noises, but you can hardly focus on anything except-

**== > ==>**

_You were human once._

(You are a troll.)

_You had parents and siblings._

(You have a lusus.)

_You lived next to your grandparents out on their farm._

(You live on grassland next to a cliff and have no close neighbors.)

_You had a happy childhood and never for a moment believed you were in any danger._

(You are never not aware that you are one angry highblood away from a painful death.)

_You lived and loved and then died too young._

(You are so, so young, and you haven't experienced anything yet.)

_You...aren't dead?_

(You're still alive.)

_But...you aren't human anymore, are you?_

(No. You're-)

You are now-

**== > Be Tavros Nitram**

...yes, you are now TAVROS NITRAM, and as stated before, you are inexplicably, impossibly a TROLL.

Huh.

This new information is understandably upsetting and confusing, and on top of your still throbbing panache, you can't help but feel this wriggling day kind of sucks, especially since you stated beforehand very clearly that you would have no existential crises tonight, nor rumination of any kind.

**== > Tavros: Commence narratively appropriate trope and end this chapter by losing consciousness  
**

Thankfully, you slip into unconsciousness before you have to waste a perfectly good wriggling day confronting your problems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since the prologue is so short, I'll probably post chapter one Saturday and then continue to post every Saturday thereafter. Chapters will be 2k minimum, with no cap because I thrive off of chaos and anarchy, apparently.
> 
> This is my first time writing these characters and for this fandom in general, so uh have mercy on me and please correct me if my characterization or knowledge of canon is horribly off-base or something. }:V
> 
> Some things will be intentionally different, of course, as this is an alternate universe, and OC!Tavros has already unknowingly changed things just by being different from OG!Tavros. But eh, you'll see for yourself.
> 
> Anyway, I'd love to hear what you think! Comments encourage me to keep writing like nothing else! };D
> 
> p.s. this is not a self-insert. tho i have given tav some of my own traits and flaws, he's an original character and notably different from me lmao i just figured anyone looking for an si wouldn't mind reading about an oc


	2. ==> Tavros: Confront Your Problems

**Chapter One**

**== > Tavros: Confront your problems**

What problems?

You don't have any problems. 

You definitely don't remember a past life as a different species on another planet, much less reading a comic in said life that described _this_ life in eerie detail, and even if you _did,_ you wouldn't consider it a problem.

**== > This denial is starting to become embarrassing**

Yeah, okay, you weren't really feeling it anyway.

You like to avoid your problems when they can't be immediately dealt with, and that usually works in that you're able to forget them for a while.

Unfortunately, though, it's been three nights since you first became aware of this one, and you haven't really been able to _stop_ thinking about it.

So you…

You.

**== > Think about it**

You live under a totalitarian regime led by an evil fish queen, are a member of a species which considers those of your blood to be worthless and expendable, and are in danger of being either killed or permanently maimed by children your own age.

And the worst part is that all of that was _normal_ to you, to the point that you didn't even question it. You had complaints, sure, but you were resigned to it. That's just how things were. You couldn't change it, so there was no point dwelling on it, right? And it's not like you knew how much better things could be.

Now you do. Earth wasn't perfect, not by a long shot, but it was leagues better than Alternia. In so many ways, big and small. Countless small mercies you hadn't even realized could be taken as such- not constantly fearing for your life, having any power at all over your government, being able to trust that your friends and neighbors and strangers wouldn't suddenly turn on you-

**== > If you were white**

-If you were white, yeah.

Okay, so Earth fucking sucked too.

But at least people _knew_ it sucked and were trying to change it, every day, all the time, everywhere. You couldn't so much as glance at social media or the news without hearing about movements and protests and marches, couldn't look at the world around you and _not_ realize that for every shitty, corrupt official out there, there were hundreds upon thousands upon millions of decent people calling them out and crying for justice. You knew people _cared_ about each other, and they made you look at them, see them, care about them too.

Alternia doesn't have people like that, at least not openly, so brazenly, nothing so widespread or well known because they get wiped out the moment they're discovered, and their existences are erased from history, not even a damned footnote in the annals of the great and mighty fucking Empire.

The Condesce's influence is too far-reaching, her authority absolute. People are too frightened to even _think_ treasonous thoughts like "hey, we deserve better" or else they've been brainwashed by schoolfeeding and propaganda that hails Her Imperious Fucking Condescension as their almighty lord and savior and refuse to consider otherwise.

Even _you_ had bought into it, a little bit, before all this. You'd been _excited_ to become a Cavalreaper, to rise through the ranks and make a name for yourself conquering the galaxy in her name.

Now, the thought makes you sick to your stomach. Any idolisation of the job or patriotism for your people has been poisoned by the knowledge that neither can be separated from the fact that your entire society is predicated on the subjugation and extermination of others, for no real reason other than that the Empress thinks she has to get her grimy fucking hands on absolutely everything and everyone in existence to sate her own nigh insatiable greed.

With the instinctive fear and awe stripped away, you find that inside you there is only burning hatred left for your woman child of a ruler, a hatred entirely devoid of romance or respect. There is no pity in you for a person so reprehensible and so utterly remorseless, not even the double-edged sword that is human pity.

**== > Get to the point already**

All that is to say, knowing that you're going to be leaving Alternia forever once the Game starts - and thus not have to worry about working for her or even surviving long enough for employment to become an issue - makes the whole thing a lot less scary.

You have a clear time limit. You only have to trudge through until Karkat's sixth wriggling day, and then- well, if you being here doesn't change things, then you'll lose the game and die anyway, but at least dying in the game means there's a chance for revival later on. Plus, hey, you'll get to hang out in the dream bubbles, which are pretty cool as far as afterlives go.

And though you don't know for sure - as you'd died before the epilogues came out - you honestly believe no world created by the remaining trolls and humans could possibly be worse than the nightmare hellscape into which Alternia has been twisted. More than anything, you trust Karkat, Kanaya, and Terezi to create a bright, better future for trollkind.

You don't want to die - again - but you can't help but think such a future would be _worth_ dying for.

(At least then it would be meaningful. You don't want to die another pointless death.)

**== > This talk of death is depressing**

No shit. The reality of your impending doom isn't exactly a fun topic for you, either. You've never been so viscerally aware of your own mortality before, nor your own helplessness in the face of things like destiny or fate. Never felt so small and insignificant, even as one of the lowest of lowbloods.

You're trying really hard not to think that you might already be in a doomed timeline, too, since you're clearly not the original Tavros. You don't want to consider that your very existence might cause an entire universe to crumble and wither.

**== > What is that beeping noise?**

Eager to escape that train of thought, you cast around for something else to focus on, hear the telltale beeping of a new message, and realize that you had left Trollian open on your husktop. This is not a new phenomenon - you have a tendency to get distracted and accidentally ignore your friends - so it's with a resigned sort of guilt that you plop down in your chair and look at the screen.

As you suspected, while you were desperately pretending you didn’t have any impending crises to sort out and avidly avoiding anything that might remind you of them, some of your friends had messaged you.

\-- apocalypseArisen [AA] began trolling adiosToreador [AT] \--

AA: hello! just wondering if you were still up for flarping later  
AA: this campaign looks really good! i can't wait to try it out  
AA: :D

\--adiosToreador [AT] is now an idle chum!--

AA: oh it's your wriggling day o_o  
AA: you must be busy! i'll talk to you later

\-- apocalypseArisen [AA] ceased trolling adiosToreador [AT] \--

\-- apocalypseArisen [AA] began trolling adiosToreador [AT]\--

AA: it's been a few nights so i'm just checking in again!  
AA: is everything still on for our flarp session?

\--adiosToreador [AT] is an idle chum!--

AA: hello??? O_O

\-- twinArmageddons [TA] began trolling adiosToreador [AT] \--

TA: another 2weep older, another 2weep clo2er two the 2weet relea2e of death huh

\--adiosToreador [AT] is now an idle chum!--

TA: you haven't harped on me about the death talk  
TA: how are you bu2y  
TA: ii bet you're not even rumiinatiing on your iinadequaciie2  
TA: you're probably celebratiing the fact that you're aliive or 2omethiing equally 2tupiid

\-- twinArmageddons [TA] ceased trollingadiosToreador [AT] \--

\-- twinArmageddons [TA] began trolling adiosToreador [AT] \--

TA: aa'2 worriied tv 2top whatever lame thiing you're doiing and troll her back

\--adiosToreador [AT] is an idle chum!--

Whoops. You'd missed messages from both Aradia and Sollux. You were a bit preoccupied with decorating your hive for your wriggling day, then being unconscious, and _then_ staving off that existential crisis (you're still reeling from) to find the time to answer, but you guess now is as good a time as any.

As suggested, you troll Aradia first.

AA: it's been a few nights so i'm just checking in again!  
AA: is everything still on for our flarp session?

\--adiosToreador [AT] is an idle chum!--

AA: hello??? O_O  
AT: sORRY ARAD1A, 1 COMPLETELY FORGOT THAT 1 HADN'T MESSAGED YOU BACK }:(  
AT: 1 AM DEF1N1TELY ST1LL ON FOR FLARP1NG, 1F YOU ST1LL ARE  
AA: it's no problem! i know you have a tendency to forget to respond  
AA: it's okay  
AT: rEALLY, bECAUSE 1 TH1NK 1T'S KIND OF A CRAPPY TH1NG TO DO  
AA: hey i just think of it as a small obstacle in my quest to spam your dialogue options and eventually max out your friendship meter  
AT: wHAT, aRE YOU HOP1NG TO UNLOCK A SPEC1AL CUTSCENE,  
AT: bECAUSE, 1 HATE TO BREAK 1T TO YOU, bUT THE STUD1O SPENT ALL THE1R MONEY ON THE TRA1LER,  
AT: aND DUE TO T1ME CONSTRA1NTS, sOLD AN UNF1N1SHED F1NAL PRODUCT  
AT: sO UNFORTUNATELY, tHERE 1S NO F1NAL CUTSCENE }:(  
AA: fortunately i'm the kind of girl who enjoys getting to know the characters and doesn't really care about graphics or production value ;)  
AA: all that really matters is that i had fun and considered it a worthwhile experience  
AT: 1N THAT CASE, 1 ALSO HAD FUN, aND AM, 1N FACT, sT1LL HAV1NG FUN  
AT: wH1CH 1 AGREE 1S WHAT'S MOST 1MPORTANT  
AT: }:D  
AA: :D  
AA: it's that kind of attitude that makes you such an excellent flarp partner!  
AA: i said it before, but i'm really looking forward to this next campaign!  
AA: boobytrapped temples and an ancient puzzle involving our ancestors?  
AA: it's all just so exciting, isn't it?  
AT: 1T ALL SOUNDS REALLY COOL, aND L1KE ADVENTURE W1LL BE AFOOT  
AT: *aSTRUT POD  
AA: hehe

You spend a few more minutes hashing out the details with her, such as where and when you'll be meeting, after which she bids a cheerful farewell and goes on to troll Kanaya about her costume.

Some of Aradia's excitement seems to have rubbed off on you, and you find yourself smiling as you tab over to Sollux's chatlog.

TA: aa'2 worriied 2top whatever lame thiing you're doiing and troll her back

\--adiosToreador [AT] is an idle chum!--

AT: sOLLUX, 1'VE ONLY KNOWN YOU FOR ABOUT HALF A SWEEP,  
AT: aND A, fRANKLY, d1SCONCERT1NG AMOUNT OF OUR CONVERSAT1ONS HAVE 1NVOLVED, "dEATH TALK"  
AT: 1T'S K1ND OF DEPRESS1NG, aND REALLY SAD, eSPEC1ALLY S1NCE YOU'RE SO COOL AND SMART  
TA: eheheh ii am a total bada22 aren't ii  
AT: tHE BADDEST }:)  
TA: you know, you're the only one of our 2hiitbag friiend2 that actually manage2 two 2ound 2iincere  
TA: ii can't deciide iif you're 2tupiidly niice or iif our friiend2 are just a bunch of a22hole2  
AT: 1 SEE WHERE TH1S 1S GO1NG,  
AT: 1T'S BOTH  
TA: iit'2 both  
TA: eheheh  
AT: };)  
TA: 2o what were you doiing anyway?  
TA: con2iideriing how hype you two are about flarpiing ii fiigured you'd be the one 2pammiing aa  
TA: not the exact oppo2iite  
AT: hONESTLY, 1 REAL1ZED SOMETH1NG EXTREMELY UPSETT1NG, pERTA1N1NG TO MYSELF SPEC1F1CALLY,  
AT: aND OTHER TH1NGS, gENERALLY,  
AT: aLL OF WH1CH 1 WAS PRETTY D1STRACTED BY, aS YOU M1GHT UNDERSTAND  
TA: well what wa2 iit then  
TA: diid you realiize flarpiing ii2 2tupiid and dangerou2 and you and aa 2hould quiit iit before iit quiit2 you  
TA: or that fidu2pawn ii2 a dumb pupa game you 2hould already have grown out of  
TA: tv?  
AT: }:(  
TA: 2hiit not the frowny face  
AT: nO,  
AT: 1 DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT 1T, aCTUALLY,  
TA: 2orry TV ii diidn't mean to be a jerk about iit  
AT: uH,  
TA: okay ii diid but iim beiing 2eriou2 now  
TA: you can tell me ii won't even make fun of you iif iit turn2 out two be riidiiculou2  
AT: tHAT SOUNDS, k1ND OF, pALE  
TA: aa ha2 iinviited you two jam with u2 iin a liiteral piile before tv thii2 ii2 practiically cha2te iin comparii2on  
AT: tHE WORST PART 1S THAT 1 KNOW YOU'RE BOTH SER1OUS,,,  
AT: 1 CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL KARKAT WOULD F1ND A WAY TO REACH THROUGH MY SCREEN AND THROTTLE ME,  
AT: WERE 1 TO ACCEPT SUCH A SCANDALOUS OFFER, hA  
TA: are you kiiddiing kk would get a fuckiing kiick out of thii2  
TA: ii bet nothiing get2 hii2 romantiic blood pu2her aflutter liike a three-per2on feeliing2 jam  
TA: ii bet ii could look through hii2 hii2tory and find 2earche2 liike  
TA: friiends turned palemate2  
TA: pale three2ome hardcore  
TA: three moiiraiil2 one piile  
AT: tHAT 1S, a H1LAR1OUS 1MAGE ACTUALLY,  
AT: 1F WAY MORE THAN 1 WOULD WANT TO KNOW ABOUT OUR MUTUAL FR1END'S PERSONAL PREFERENCES,  
AT: bUT, uH, 1 THINK 1'M GO1NG TO KEEP TH1S TO MYSELF FOR NOW,  
AT: aT LEAST UNT1L 1'VE HAD T1ME TO PROCESS 1T,  
TA: alriight well aa will be dii2apoiinted but 2he can deal  
AT: yOU ALSO SEEM D1SAPPO1NTED,  
TA: well yeah ii almost had two people iin one quadrant  
TA: my iideal fanta2y ruiined  
AT: oNCE AGAIN, mORE THAN I NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT A FRIEND'S PERSONAL PREFERENCES,,,  
TA: ehehehe

Rolling your gander bulbs, you banter back and forth with Sollux a bit more before closing the chat, and for good measure, you log out of Trollian entirely. You don't think you could handle interacting with any more of the names innocuously filling your ChumpRoll. Even the sight of them makes you feel like someone has grasped your bloodpusher and squashed it between their claws.

You had managed to suppress your instinctive reactions to several key remarks whilst trolling your friends, due in part to long practice and the fact that it hasn't quite sunk in yet that you were speaking to ~Aradia Megido and Sollux Captor, Maid of Time and Mage of Doom~ rather than your dorky friends of half a sweep, but now your emotions are bubbling over, no longer content to be ignored.

You're still having trouble reconciling the bright, bubbly girl you're proud to call your partner with the apathetic, fatalistic robot of a dead girl who felt the ends justified the means- or the snarky, cocksure boy who still finds time to worry about you despite his innate pessimism and the doomed voices in his pan with the broken, battered shell of a boy who lost his moirail, his flush crush, and his eyesight in a horrid torrent of tragedy after tragedy.

You can hardly believe Vriska would turn on you, _kill_ you, actively sabotage the rest of you just so she could be most important. Sure, she's pushy and mean sometimes, and she's killed and manipulated before- But she's never turned all that against you, her _friends_.

And fuck, Gamzee. You, this you, would never in a million sweeps have suspected Gamzee of all trolls of killing _anyone_. Even accounting for highblood rage and his religion, you would never have believed him capable of killing _Karkat_.

Eridan, comparatively, is less of a shock. He makes no secret of his derision of landdwellers, nor his dreams of wiping them out. As such, you two aren't exactly friends. Still, the dramatic, attention-seeking child you know actually killing Feferi and _Kanaya_ … Surely, he would never do something so drastic if he weren't backed into a corner.

Surely, none of your friends would do any of that shit were things outside their control not constantly nudging them in that direction. Surely, all of you could be _better_ were the entire fucking universe not actively working against you, were the fate of said universe and the future of your entire Condesce-damned species not dependent on the actions of literal children.

They're just _kids_ , all of them. They were then, and they are now, and they will be in the future. And it's fucked up that they have to suffer so much, kill and die and _grieve_ and then push on anyway, just because the alpha timeline demands it.

God, but you want to protect them. You almost think a doomed timeline would be preferable. You almost don't want to give a shit about "canon." You almost want to try to do things your own way and fuck the consequences. You, just…

You, almost...

You want...

**== > You've already made your decision**

You have, haven't you?

Yeah.

You're doing this.

You're making this happen.

_Fuck_ canon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Tavros goes from being mostly okay with the game to actively going against it, and I hope his struggle with it was apparent throughout and not out of left field lmao
> 
> \- He still hasn't properly dealt with his feelings on the matter (or the things his friends are capable of+his being here), so that struggle is going to continue for at least a little while
> 
> \- Yes, this is a No Sgrub AU, but he doesn't know that };)
> 
> \- Tavros uses a mix of lowblood slang and human/"highblood" to show the mix of human/troll he is now
> 
> \- Ah, Vriska. Tav is just as conflicted about her as most people and was even before he remembered; he probably wouldn't be if she'd already paralyzed him, but obviously that hasn't happened yet (and it's something he clearly hasn't remembered)
> 
> \- Aradia uses more emojis because Tavros does; it's just something that's rubbed off on her, as happens between friends
> 
> \- It was said that Tavros would replace his "I"s with "1"s were he more confident, and OC!Tavros is, so I thought that would be a nice way to distinguish them
> 
> \- I'm worried Sollux is too nice?? But this is also before Aradia's death, so,, idk I guess I just assumed he would be?? To Tavros, if nothing else
> 
> \- I'm seriously considering Sollux/Aradia/Tavros palemance, bc I love that sweet, sweet pale polyamory, but we'll see how the story progresses
> 
> \- That being said, I am open to suggestions about all the pairings. All of them.
> 
> \- I was excited to format the trolllogs,,, until I wasn't lmao
> 
> Please let me know what you think! Or if there's anything I need to change or improve. I'm still new this fandom/these characters, so any help would be appreciated. }:D


	3. ==> Tavros: FLARP

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: No update this Saturday. Will double update next Saturday. ;)

**Chapter Two**

**== > Tavros: FLARP**

Your campaign doesn't require a Clouder, nor is it intentionally fatal, which means it might be more accurate to call it LARPing instead. Or just good, old adventuring.

**== > Now you're just being semantic**

Heh, maybe. You don't want to give anyone the wrong idea. Nor do you really want to associate this fun romp with a certain Flarping incident in your future that you aren't sure you can prevent and most definitely are not thinking about right now.

**== > Hm. Very well. Carry on**

Gladly.

This time you're playing a campaign called IN WHICH YOU PASS THROUGH TEMPLES FULL OF PUZZLES AND BOOBYTRAPS, SOLVE AN ANCIENT MYSTERY INVOLVING YOUR ANCESTORS, AND COLLECT RELATIVELY USELESS TREASURE AT THE END, and the site you bought it from had guaranteed it was only dangerous if you were a "pandead pupa" and couldn't solve any of the "ridiculously easy" puzzles in time.

There are no convenient temples near your hive (and you think it would be really lame to play in a game-generated one; hard to feel a real sense of adventure in a place that has no actual history), but Aradia had discovered a few ruins near hers that she assured you would be perfect for your game. All you had to do was meet her at her hive, and she would lead you there.

Before that, though, you make sure to check your costume one last time for tears or wrinkles and find it in the same pristine condition as when Kanaya first sent it to you. As silly and inconvenient as sylladexes can sometimes be, they're perfect for preserving the things you manage to store inside them.

To your knowledge, the original Tavros' modus had never been revealed, but you think this is another instance where you differ. You have the RPG Fetch Modus, which is pretty simple as far as modi go. It's like your standard inventory in an RPG in that you can store just about anything - like, okay, all sylladexes. But each card has an item limit of 99, and once you've stored X item in a card, that card will only ever accept X item in the future. So you run out of blank cards pretty quickly and have to be somewhat careful in the things you choose to captchalogue. 

It also has a Key Items slot, the only card you have that has no limit and the categorization of which seems completely arbitrary sometimes but - kinda like Kanaya's - _does_ eventually prove useful to you.

For instance, you once threw in a pair of pants you were too lazy to pick up, which was automatically sorted into the Key Items card, and later that day, you were outside practicing with your lance when - in an embarrassing series of events you refuse to elaborate on - you ripped your pants in, uh, an auspicious place. The backup pants really came in handy then.

There are obvious ones, like the key to your hive, your palmhusk, your Flarp handbook, et cetera, but most of the key items are random, innocuous things you wouldn't guess are important at first glance. Which can be kind of a pain because maybe you needed that towel or were planning on eating that flavor disk for lunch. And it's not like you always know when a key item would even be helpful. Sometimes it's just stuff of personal significance to you, like a picture of you and Aradia after your first Flarp session as Team Charge.

You still maintain yours is much, much simpler than the majority, though. You can't even imagine the headache that would be Karkat's or Gamzee's. And Aradia's Ouija modus is just plain creepy.

**== > Stop this pointless pondering and get on with the preparations**

You wouldn't say your pondering was _pointless_ , but you are digressing.

Your costume greatly resembles that of Troll Harrison Ford in IN WHICH AN ARCHEOLOGOUGER AND ADVENTERRORIST TEALBLOOD IS HIRED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO FIND AN ARTIFACT OF GREAT IMPORTANCE BEFORE THE LEADERADICALIST OF THE TRAITOR ARMY CAN FIND IT AND MAKE USE OF ITS GREAT POWER, the significantly shortened title you privately refer to it as when need be.

You even have his cool hat! 

You know Aradia has a similar costume with only a few cosmetic changes, like a skirt instead of pants and no jacket, and unlike you, she actually uses whipkind.

From the picture she sent you, you know she looks really badass whereas you just look kind of dorky, but Aradia was already way more badass than you, so you doubt the clothes are to blame. Kanaya really came through for you this time, not that she doesn't always. You'll have to thank her again later.

Fully outfitted, you captchalogue your lance, as well as the game grub, your medkit, various food and drinks, and your palmhusk, and then you head outside, taking the stairs two at a time.

Once on the ground, you close your eyes and reach out for the nearest lusus that meets your specifications and find a squawkbeast fussing over an empty nest on one of the far off cliffs. Easy as breathing, you coax her to fly over to your front lawnring and allow you to clamber up onto her back.

No matter how many times you do this, it never gets any less awesome, especially in a world like Alternia where the wildlife are so uniquely, dangerously beautiful. This bird lusus is as big as a _horse_ , and that's not including the tail, nor the wings which are twice as long. You can appreciate her all the more now that you've become aware of a life where having this kind of power was only ever an option in your wildest dreams.

You have many, _many_ reasons to think you got the short end of the stick here, being reborn into this time and place, into this body, with a predetermined fate hanging over you like Damocle's Sword, but…

This? 

This shit is downright incredible. Human!You _wishes_ he was this you.

Positively giddy, you reverently run your hand down the pure white feathers on her neck, and she lets out a content warble in response.

You giggle a little, which turns into full blown laughter when she suddenly tenses up and takes off, already aware of your destination via your psychic link. She carries you high into the sky, well past your tower of a hive and up, up, up, above the clouds, higher than your chosen mounts tend to fly, higher than you've ever flown before.

The view you're greeted with takes your breath away. Trillions of stars spread out before you, a tapestry of sparkling lights scattered over an inky blackness, and like this, you can almost understand why someone would want to conquer an entire galaxy, the temptation to just reach out and grasp it, just to _look_ at it, this beauty, this marvel.

The difference, you realize, is that HIC would rather keep it all for herself. She ingrains fear into the hearts of her people so that space itself becomes tainted, has them so busy surviving that a pretty view is utterly useless to them, a waste of time. Just another battleground, just another victim held in the tight grip of the Empire, just another toy in the Empress' collection.

And you- All you want is to show this view to someone, to _every_ one and share your awe and wonder with them. You want them to see what you see. You want to divorce their instinctive terror and wariness from the sheer brilliance of the cosmos. You want them to know unbridled joy and genuine peace. You want to create a universe where space exploration is not synonymous with expansion and invasion.

You want to create a world where your friends have the opportunity to learn and to know these things as you do.

More than _anything,_ you want all twelve of you trolls to stand alongside the humans on the victory platform at the end.

**== > ...But?**

But you don't know how to do any of that.

You are only four sweeps old. You cannot recall your age when human!you died, but you get the sense you were a scant few years older. Which does not an adult make, even if the numbers add up. Age does not equal wisdom, and there is no substitute for experience.

This isn't like a typical Hollywood movie or novel, where a plucky, young Hero gets transported to another world and despite not knowing much of anything or having much in the way of allies or battle prowess, manages to save it.

You have enough human in you to know how fucked Alternia really is, to know how irrevocably damaged your friends are just from growing up here and being schoolfed bullshit by your corrupt government, but your human public school education provides no easy solution to any of it.

And that's not even getting into the time travel.

How are you supposed to fight against a future that has already happened or is happening or needs to happen because otherwise you're all doomed?

It gives you a headache just trying to wrap your pan around it. You're not a strategist. You're not a leader. You're definitely no genius. You're just a troll who wants to save his friends from themselves and each other, and maybe that's all it comes down to, in the end. Maybe that's all there is to it.

You'll do what feels right and leave the complicated stuff to those more suited for it, like Sollux and Karkat. And hey, you can take solace in knowing that no matter what _you_ do, even if your actions amount to nothing in the end, the Alpha timeline will still go on without you. There's no way it wouldn't, with Aradia and Terezi watching all your backs.

You close your eyes and focus on the wind ruffling your hair and clothes, the soft, sturdy body beneath you expanding and contracting with every breath, the bright, warm spots of color signifying wildlife all around you. You bask in the knowledge that despite everything, despite _her_ best efforts, despite **his** , and possibly even despite yours, the cycle of living and growing and evolving will continue on - and on and on and on.

**== > Hours in the future (but not many)**

Your bird companion dips into a gentle descent once you realize you're getting close, and not long after, you catch sight of the rotating breeze blades atop Aradia's hive.

You also feel the familiar, friendly touch of _two_ psionics brushing up against you in warm welcome, and you feel yourself grinning, pleasantly surprised.

As you land, you carefully hop down off of the lusus and walk around to her front, broadcasting your intention. She lowers her head in, and you take that as the permission it is and bring both hands up scritch between her eyes and under her chin. Her eyes close in contentment.

Your lips quirk up, and you lean forward to nuzzle your face against her soft fluff. "Thank you for the ride. I appreciate it."

You don't believe in forcing anyone, troll or animal, to do things against their will and thus will only use your power to do so if you or someone else is in danger, and there's no other way around it. 

When you commune with beasts, you link your minds, and yes, you can override their free will and control them. _Or_ you can get a sense of their personalities and wants and desires. And you can let them sense you too, _your_ personality, wants, and desires, everything that makes you _you_ _-_ and perhaps most importantly, your intentions.

They realize you have no intention of harming them, that even with this ability, you would never control them, and it makes befriending them so much easier than it otherwise would be. They know instinctively that you won't make them help you, that there _is_ a choice, that they could refuse with no repercussions, and so you can't help but find it humbling that they would choose to help you anyway.

Earlier, you asked this squawkbeast to assist you, and whatever she sensed in you, she didn't mind acquiescing with your request. You are appropriately grateful, and you want her to know.

You pull back, and she opens an eye to watch you. "You can head back now, and I'll find another way home," you tell her.

In response, she opens both eyes fully, nudges you just hard enough to force you to let go and back up a few steps, and then settles down on the grass properly, with her legs tucked under her.

"You don't have to fly me back. You've already done more than enough," you say, a little exasperated.

She elegantly ignores you, lifting a wing to preen it, looking for all intents and purposes like this isn't unfamiliar territory or another lusus' hive. It's fortunate Aradia's lusus is well used to this by now, or else you'd both have been in trouble.

"I'm not going back until tomorrow night," you try to reason, but it's no use. You smile despite yourself. "Alright, fine. I'll be back to say good day later, then."

You wait until you sense her acknowledgement, and then you turn around and jog toward Aradia's hive. You figure it's pretty rude to just land right in front, so you always disembark closer to her excavation sites.

Once you get closer, rust red psionics crackle and buzz over you, filling your vision, and suddenly you're flying again, up towards a red figure floating near an open window. You meet her eager smile with a nervous one of your own.

(Not that you don't trust her, but there's a difference between sitting astride a lusus and uncontrollably hurtling through the air with nothing but psionic power between you and the ground.)

As soon as you're close enough, Aradia throws her arms around you and squeezes you tightly. "You look so cool, Tavros!" She says, disentangling from you and giving your outfit an approving once over.

"You, too. Exactly like Troll Harrison Ford. Except better in every way, obviously." And you mean it. No offense to everyone else, but Aradia's the coolest person you know, no question.

She beams at you and then takes your arm and pulls you inside, probably because you were just awkwardly floating and staring at her otherwise.

"You're both huge dorks," Sollux judges, having turned away from his hivetop once you two came in. It's hard to tell, but you think you feel his bicolored eyes lingering on you, carefully inspecting you for something. You smile at him, and he huffs, turning back around. "You especially, TV. I mean, you don't even use whipkind. You should have been the sidekick."

"I acknowledge your criticism, but considering it's bulge stupid criticism, I've elected to ignore it," you say, pleased when that gets an amused little "heh" out of him.

Aradia snorts, tugging you forward again and ushering you to sit next to Sollux at her food consumption platform. "You're just jealous Tavros looks so good in khaki. Sollux could never," she directs that last bit towards you, conspiratorially, and you nod seriously in agreement.

"It sucks, but if his clothes aren't as dark as his sense of humor, he might just keel over." You and Aradia spare a glance for his black on black ensemble and share a look of grim regret.

"If only," the troll in question chimes in, dryly.

Aradia swats him on the back of the head. "You're happy to be alive, loser, so don't pretend otherwise."

He rubs the offended spot, pouting at her. (Well. He probably doesn't mean it to be a pout, but that's totally what it is.) "Ow. What kind of moirail hits their partner?"

"A good one." She levels him with a _look_ , and he backs down with a grumble. "Besides, showing off how pitiable you are isn't going to make Tavros magically jump into your pile. You should just ask him straight out, dumbass."

He sneers, " _You_ already tried that, and it didn't work. It just made him uncomfortable."

"If he doesn't want to, he doesn't want to. You can't trick him into it."

"I'm not. I'm seducing him subtly."

"Right. Because offering to listen to his troubles and dramatically airing out your own is subtle."

" _Anything_ is subtler than whatever the hell you're doing, AA. Don't think I don't notice you putting your hands all over him."

"He doesn't mind!"

"Or is he just too nice to say anything?"

"He wouldn't-"

"TV-"

**== > Tavros: React**

You don't want to.

Your burning face has been hidden behind your hands since the first insinuation, and you think idly to yourself that you'll probably never come out. You're safe here, unburdened by the knowledge that your best friends are currently bickering over the best way to court you for a diamond threeway.

**== > React internally then**

You've never given much thought to your quadrants. Obviously you knew you would eventually have to in order to fulfill your duties as a citizen of the Empire, but you figured that was a problem for future Tavros and didn't worry about it. Even as a human, you weren't all that interested in romance.

Now… Well, you're still not interested. At least not in the concupiscent quadrants. You're no meddler or mediator like Kanaya, so ashen probably won't be your thing either.

Pale romance, though…

Humans are incredibly pale, almost all the time, with just about everyone, and you- you were probably one of the worst. You _ached_ for other people, especially your loved ones, wanted so badly to rid them of their pain and stress and worry, and so you often found yourself initiating feelings jams and pale gestures. You were _always_ touching others, shoulders and hair and hands and knees and arms. Rubbing backs, entwining fingers, checking for fevers, brushing hair, walking arm in arm, nuzzling your face against necks. Kissing cheeks, foreheads, noses, hands, temples.

You didn't realize how much you craved contact with another person until you got bombarded with memories of never going a single day _without_ it. Tinkerbull is always up for a cuddle, but it's not the same. It's not falling asleep with your head in someone's lap or grabbing someone's hand just to play with their fingers. It's not opening up and being completely vulnerable with someone and trusting that they won't harm you. It's not witnessing someone open up and be vulnerable with you, knowing someone trusts _you_ that much.

You realize that you _need_ that, all of it, trust and touch and _comfort_. You want to be consoled. You want someone to hold you and tell you that things are going to be alright. To tell you that you are going to be okay.

Because you are not okay. You are not okay at all. You are dealing with things as well as you can, but it's not enough. You are so far in over your head here, your horns are sticking out Alternia's other side, and you know it.

What your friends are offering… It's enough to shake the thin veneer of confidence you've plastered over your fear and doubt. You feel yourself trembling. Tears well up and threaten to spill over. Your hands clench, claws digging into your face and drawing thin rivulets of blood.

In the silence of the room, your ragged breathing rings too loudly.

(When did they stop arguing?)

"TV…?"

"Tavros?"

Maybe, just this once, you could…

Hesitantly, agonizingly slowly, you pull your hands from your face and lift your head.

If they're really serious, maybe…

You open your eyes.

Just, maybe...

You find clear, unmistakable pity on their (young, alive, _happy_ ) faces.

**== > Tavros: Break**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- 30 chapters is just an estimate, btw,, Depends on when/where I employ timeskips
> 
> \- I'm going to take liberties with canon regarding Alternia, its culture, trolls' day to day lives, etc., & expand on it ways I think make sense
> 
> \- Like with Flarping, I can't help but think that there's an official Flarp competition/ranking thing probably authorized by the government (gotta keep the kiddos violent), and then there's homebrew campaigns or ones like in this chapter, where it's just a few friends adventuring together, no official classes or killing. Still dangerous - this is Alternia after all - but mostly safe.
> 
> \- Can't believe I really thought I'd get to the actual Flarping in this chapter smh
> 
> \- idk how Tavros' abilities work & idc to; they work like this now
> 
> \- Sollux came over bc he was concerned about Tav what a sap
> 
> \- Sollux & Aradia are dumbasses about romance honestly they deserve each other
> 
> \- Sollux/Aradia/Tavros confirmed????? Is it, tho? };)
> 
> \- Sollux still has a lisp but hell if I'm writing it out
> 
> \- Tav said bye to Tinkerbull before he left, I just forgot to include it lol
> 
> I think that's everything. Please let me know what you think!!! I'd love to hear it!!! }:D


	4. ==> Tavros: Break

**Chapter Three**

**== > Tavros: Break**

Your name isn't Tavros, so you can't do whatever vaguely ominous thing that is.

**== > Tavros: Be that other guy two nights ago**

You already are that other guy, but whatever.

Your name is SOLLUX CAPTOR, and you are feeling both SERIOUSLY CONCERNED and MILDLY PUT OUT. You feel these things simultaneously about and because of the same person because you are just that AWESOME.

KK would probably spontaneously combust were he ever to feel more than one (1) emotion at a time, especially considering how intensely he feels them. You think that if he were to calm down maybe, that wouldn't be the case, but hey, a calmer Karkat would also be less entertaining.

Heedless of that amusing line of thought, you stare pensively at the chatlog still open on your screen, specifically at the spill of bronze scattered throughout. Tavros had seemed unusually unenthusiastic, like he had a lot on his mind, and it was weighing him down. He admitted as much, but you couldn't convince him to tell you what was bugging him.

And that bugs  _ you _ .

You have had stirrings of pale feelings over the sweeps for your friends. Karkat when he's particularly self-loathing, because you understand  _ that _ and don't really want one of your best friends going through it. Feferi, sometimes, for having to deal with a shitty moirail when she deserves so much better.

There have only been two people who have really made you see diamonds, though. You fell for Aradia hard and fast. She with her ghosts dictating her life and you with your voices of the soon to be dead. She helps you through your debilitating migraines and mood swings, and you distract her from her voices, keep her from letting her adventurous spirit kill her. You have never felt closer to another troll being in your short life.

Then there's Tavros.

TV is the least troll-like troll you've ever met, and that list includes trashy romance addict Karkat and a sopor-addled Gamzee. He's too nice, too soft, too quick to laughter, too quick to forgiveness. He's pathetic but not in a way that makes you disgusted, like Eridan.

Every troll has an edge to them, a lingering sense of danger. It's instinctive, as much as breathing or blinking. You want other trolls to know you could be a threat, if you wanted to be, and that's something that never goes away, even between quadrantmates.

For them, it's a sign of trust. You could cull them, or they, you, but you trust each other not to.

You've met Tavros in person many times now, and you can confidently say that he has no edge. You didn't believe him capable of being a threat the moment you laid eyes on him, and it wasn't because you're a powerful psionic. (Though, heh, you definitely are.)

He was almost suspiciously  _ non _ threatening, as if somehow he already trusted that you, a troll higher on the spectrum whom he'd only ever spoken to online, wouldn't harm him, so he had no reason to make you think he would harm you.

It was arrogance on the level of a Highblood, and honestly, it had you sparking initially. Luckily, Aradia had been there and had been expecting your reaction (to her credit, she had warned you), and she gave you two paps, which calmed you down enough to realize that you were being ridiculous. You knew this kid, and he didn't have an arrogant bone in his body.

A second look without your instincts going haywire, and you could tell. Tavros was just eerily good-natured, to the point that he even gave off a harmless, _kind_ aura, without any teeth or hidden barbs. He was amiable and approachable, and in a species like yours, a society like yours, with your history of bloodthirst and violence, that kind of thing sets off all kinds of internal alarms.

It was weird. It was unnatural. It made him vulnerable. It made him  _ weak _ . It made  _ you _ fall horns over heels for him.

Well, okay, it wasn't that sudden. It was gradual, in fits and starts. He had already considered you a friend because you were Aradia's moirail, but after you met for real, it was like the floodgates opened. He asked after your health and wellbeing constantly. He was there for you when Aradia was sleeping (like any normal troll.) Your insomnia kept you up, and he was often awake at odd hours and  _ always  _ willing to chat with you. He listened to you go on about your haxxor skill2 and was honestly impressed by you (and wasn't too self-conscious to let you know it.) He dealt with your bitching long after even Aradia would have gotten fed up and papped you quiet, and then he would calm you down effortlessly, just by being himself.

And you, you found yourself reciprocating. You nagged at him about needlessly endangering himself by Flarping, just like Aradia. You were grateful when he was awake to talk to you, but you wanted to know why he couldn't sleep and possibly find a way to fix it. You didn't like how close he was getting to Vriska, who was creepily fascinated by him, because you didn't need voices in your head to tell you that couldn't lead anywhere good.

You realized you wanted to take care of him and keep him safe, and by then, you knew your pale crush had gotten wildly out of hand.

But when you explained everything to your actual moirail, she didn't hesitate to tell you that she felt the same way.

"He's so pitiful, isn't he? It's hard not to want to reach out and take his hand or pap that worried look off his adorable face," she agreed, and despite the soothing hand running through your hair, you felt your ears flush yellow at the image.

You groaned, turning over and pressing your face into Aradia's side. "He doesn't even  _ notice _ ."

And maybe that's the worst part. Ninety-nine percent of your interactions are disgustingly pale, and you would bet your entire hiveframe that he doesn't see it. It's like you've got all the makings of a second moirail without any of the good stuff, anything real.

You wanted it to be real. Real like what you have with Aradia, and you had the inkling she wanted it, too.

Then Aradia said, serious as you'd ever heard her, "Let's make him."

And that was that.

**== > Sollux: Go back to present tense**

That  _ was _ getting kind of confusing. You're already technically in the past, so this whole flashback sequence is becoming needlessly complicated.

**== > Anyway…**

The time AA bluntly invited TV to join your pile was fucking hilarious but got you no closer to a feelings jam than your attempt just now, so you're at a loss as to how to proceed.

Now you've got two options before you. One: leave things as is for now and trust that he can handle whatever it is himself, or two: go and see him with your own eyes and suss out whether this thing is seriously affecting him. And maybe, possibly, find a way to help him.

Ideally you'd do both, but ideally you'd already have two moirails. The second option is the only one that appeals to you, so obviously that's what you're going to do.

Funny that you're reasoning all this out in your head when you've already contacted Aradia and put that plan in motion.

\-- twinArmageddons [TA] began trolling apocalypseArisen [AA] \--  


TA: iim comiing over iin two niight2  


TA: you 2aw iit two riight 2omething2 wrong wiith tv  


AA: yes he seemed subdued :(  


AA: aw you want to see with own your eyes that he's ok  


AA: that's adorable :)  


AA: but you know i'll look after him  


TA: ii know ju2t double-checkiing  


AA: of course you are you dork <>  


TA: ehehe <>  


TA: 2eriou2ly though he 2aiid he realiized 2omethiing "eXTREMELY UPSETTING"  


TA: iits not like tv two exaggerate he2 more liikely to under2ell 2tuff e2peciially hi2 own problem2  


AA: i see why you're worried  


AA: we'll make sure he's ok  


AA: we can double-team him with care and concern!  


TA: eheh hell yeah we wiill  


TA: 2ee you then <>  


AA: can't wait! <>  


\-- twinArmageddons [TA] ceased trolling apocalypseArisen [AA] \--  


Aradia is the best moirail. It is her.

With that done, you decide it's time to feed your lusus. He's getting pretty rowdy up there, and you've already got enough voices making a racket. You get up from your chair and go collect the mind honey.

**== > Meanwhile, in the present...**

AA lives right outside your city, so it's just a matter of flying over to see her. The trip only takes about an hour, which makes your moirallegiance much more feasible than NP's and EQ's. You don't envy them the sheer distance between them, although they seem to make it work regardless.

Tavros can make it in about six hours via whatever lusus he manages to wrangle up each time, a significantly shorter amount of time than if he used shitty public transportation, so you head over to Aradia's a little before you expect him to arrive.

She flies out to meet you as soon as you fly within view, throwing her arms around you and twirling the two of you around in the air. "Sollux! I missed you!"

"It's only been a few weeks," you tell her, but you hug her back all the same. It's always a relief to be able to reach out and touch her, to actually see the bright smile she gives you and hear her tinkling laughter. "Mithhed you too," you say anyway, just to hear her laugh again.

Practically vibrating in excitement, she pulls you inside, stuffs you in a chair, and shows off her dumb cosplay.

"I asked Kanaya to trade the pants for a skirt, and it looks way better, don't you think?" She asks you, spinning in a circle once to fan it out.

"Way better," you agree, even if you don't. You don't get fashion, and you don't understand why these two have to dress up just to go on their dorky made-up adventures, but whatever. They're both obviously into it, so you won't rag on them  _ too _ much. Plus, well, she  _ does  _ look adorable all dressed up like some mini archeologouger, and you would never willingingly do anything to dampen that smile on her face.

Not caring that you don't have much to say, Aradia hums happily to herself, clearly pleased, and leaves you to your own devices as she sets about getting ready for their game. You pull out your hivetop and put the finishing touches on some code from one of your commissions while you wait on TV.

Eventually, you feel the crackling buzz of active psionics approaching from the west, and when you reach out to feel them, it's definitely Tavros' warm, static-y brown that brushes up against your blistering red and blue. You can feel Aradia's cooler rust red nuzzling you both, and it makes your blood pusher thump wildly when Tavros' instinctively nuzzles back.

How can he  _ not  _ know? Uggggh. Stupid.

**== > Skip to the good stuff**

You're too busy noticing the strange lack of protests from a certain brown blood to pay attention to the strangely enthusiastic command. Usually he'd be blushing profusely (adorably) and stammering his way through objections to their inappropriate bickering, but he hasn't said a word.

Something's wrong. You look over and see Tavros holding his hands over his face, which wouldn't be that unusual, but he's clenching it  _ hard _ , and his shoulders are shaking. What little you can see of his expression points to genuine  _ distress _ , and you can feel your own chest tighten painfully in response.

You share a concerned look with Aradia, your worry only increasing when Tavros lifts his head to meet your twin stares, and you see the sorry state he's in. The sheer vulnerability in his teary eyes, the misery, the grief. The quivering of his lashes and the sharply downturned corners of his lips and the bloodless pallor. He's the very picture of abject pity, and it simultaneously sends your heart into overdrive and has you  _ aching  _ to comfort him and get rid of whatever's making him so upset.

Aradia moves before you do. She skirts around the edge of the table, hands already reaching out, and Tavros turns to meet her, seemingly without conscious thought. She moves slowly enough that Tavros could reject her, but he actually leans into her touch when she finally cups his face.

Encouraged, she very carefully rubs her thumbs over his cheeks, and it's his undoing. Like floodgates opening, bronze tears spring forth, and a tortured sob tears its way out of his throat. You've never heard a more pitiful sound.

Before you know it, you're at his other side, wrapping your arms around his middle and brushing your face against the back of his neck. A comforting purr has already started up, vibrating through you and into him.

"Shoosh," Aradia says, caressing Tavros' tear-streaked face, gently rubbing circles in strategic places to release the drug-like hormones that will calm Tavros without completely blissing him out. "I've got you, we've got you, you're okay. Shoosh, now."

You keep on purring, pressing up to him as close as you can, flush against his back, and you're rewarded by the sweet, sweet sound of his own purrbox starting up and entwining with yours. It mixes seamlessly with Aradia's sussurous reassurances and shooshes, a beautiful bittersweet melody that makes you hurt in the best possible way.

The three of you stay like that while Tavros slowly breaks apart in your embrace, whimpering and crying and curling desperately against you both.

It takes a while, but eventually he begins to run out of steam.

He's still trembling, still heaving and letting out these terrible, impossibly sad cries, but he's slowing down, growing quieter, until finally he's just silently shaking against you, save for the occasional hitched breath.

"...Feel any better?" Aradia asks quietly, still cradling his face in her hands. By this point, she's got her forehead resting against his, just as much of an anchor for him as you at his back. You would know.

You feel more than hear him swallow back another sob. "I,,, Yeah,, A little." His voice is hoarse from crying and absolutely  _ wretched _ .

You want to comfort him, ask what's wrong, say  _ anything _ , but you don't want to overwhelm him. You know how intoxicating it can be, experiencing this for the first time, to go from fit to bursting with emotions you're doing all you can to hold back to suddenly feeling  _ everything  _ all at once and how it can easily go from a relief to being uncomfortably stretched thin.

So you're leaving the verbal, wordy stuff to your very capable moirail and instead focusing on coaxing chirps and chitters out of Tavros, soothing his base instincts while Aradia soothes his mind.

"That's good," she coos. "No pressure at all, okay? You can absolutely say no. But would you want to move this to a pile? You, me, and Sollux? We don't have to, but I think it would help and be more comfortable."

In this kind of situation, with pale pheromones saturating the air and thoroughly drenching you all, you're sure you aren't the only one itching to build a pile or else move to the nearest one. So it's no surprise when Tavros says yes, but it still warms something inside you, has you all gooey and soft and purring loudly and nuzzling into TV's hair- because instincts can be ignored, so he must  _ want  _ to. He laughs a little in response, and that does nothing to diminish the feeling. Enhances it, in fact, because his laugh is the sweetest sound you've ever heard.

Once you move to a pile, figure out the logistics, and finally end up with a dozing Tavros squished between you two, Aradia's arm on your waist and Tavros' hand held tightly in your own, you actually think you might die from happiness, never mind that you can't hear your own voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Seems like Aradia only started using 0's to replace O's after she died? Bc she stopped it when she became alive again/godtier'd & Sollux only took up her quirk once he was half-dead, so????
> 
> \- sollux/aradia/tavros palemance is a go!!!!
> 
> \- Uhh please remember that Tavros' character judgments/interpretations of things are merely that - his own opinion, which does not necessarily reflect reality
> 
> \- Same goes for, you know, any POV.
> 
> \- That being said, if you see the trolls being too Soft™ or otherwise out of character, please let me know! I foresee myself smoothing out their rough edges and making them less dangerous/prone to violence than they otherwise would be, which I will of course try to catch, but yeah,,,
> 
> \- Speaking of???? Sollux is v soft here,,,,, too much?? Idk ovo I'm still acclimating to writing these guys
> 
> \- ngl i did not really have time to properly proofread this, despite having an extra week, ,, but eh,, I'll give it another read tomorrow. Will post that second chapter Monday as well since I wanted a bit of a buffer between posting them,, thanks for your patience >u>"
> 
> -aLSO I posted this at 11:47 PM, so no matter what AO3 says, I _did_ manage to get this up before Sunday!


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